Meet Anannyaa Kapur | Digital Content Creator

We had the good fortune of connecting with Anannyaa Kapur and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Anannyaa, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
Being Gen-Z, I feel like I grew up with social media, especially in my formative teenage years. I’ve been captivated by the beauty industry since then. However, for the majority of that time, I didn’t really see people who looked like me at the forefront. I witnessed Eurocentric features being treated like the norm and saw features like mine being criticized. I didn’t realize it right away but that really impacted my psyche and affected my self-esteem. But that was a while ago. I’ve come a long way since then. I’ve been on a journey of learning to love all my features I thought I would never be able to accept. They make me who I am, and I think they’re special.
Makeup has been a special part of that journey. There’s a common conception that makeup is for concealing one’s ‘flaws’. But I don’t think that’s true. Beating that narrative is what I’m here for. I use makeup as a creative outlet to celebrate how I look— not pick out flaws— and to simply have fun. My hope for this endeavor is that more people find their safe space in the makeup world and learn to celebrate themselves too.

Please tell us more about your work. We’d love to hear what sets you apart from others, what you are most proud of or excited about. How did you get to where you are today professionally. Was it easy? If not, how did you overcome the challenges? What are the lessons you’ve learned along the way. What do you want the world to know about you or your brand and story?
As a brown girl, who in the past was unfortunately deeply entrenched in Eurocentrism, I’ve been on a tumultuous and exciting journey of learning to love myself. Makeup has become a very meaningful part of that journey for me. My content is all about battling the notion that makeup is used to “hide flaws”. It’s about letting loose and having a fun, colorful party where your face is a gorgeous canvas, and you hold a brush that holds the power to tell profound stories. Or you can put some color and a brush and just go ham. No logic required!
The power of social media is so exciting. People from all over the world can see what I want to share. I want to harness this power to reach out to all the girls who were or are where I was as an early teenager— self-loathing and sad, unable to imagine a time when they would be able to appreciate themselves— and show them that their features are beautiful and worth celebrating.

This endeavor though, is not without its risks. I’m okay with that though, because risk-taking gets me out of my comfort zone, builds character, and helps me grow. Every time I work on content, I’m investing loads of my precious time and hard-earned resources into it. I spend time creating an elaborate makeup look, then spend more time on retakes, filming transitions, and editing, for it to just be a 15-second flash on people’s screens. And given the unpredictability of social media algorithms, there is no telling how successful a piece of content will be, no matter how many hours of work has been dedicated. But it’s thrilling not knowing what’s coming next. I’m just happy to be here, having fun with what I’m doing, and grateful for all the opportunities that are coming my way. Perseverance is the name of the game!

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Ever since I started earning on my own, I’ve become very conscious and careful about my spending. But I’m always down to spend money on experiences and most importantly on food with people I love. Knowing my best friend, the first place we hit would have to be a restaurant with good food and a great ambiance. I’m a huge foodie, and one of my favorite things about San Francisco is that it’s a foodie city, so many restaurants come to mind— maybe Bottega if we’re in the mood for some Italian, Biriani House for some Indian and Pakistani food for the soul, Dumpling Time for some of the best dumplings I’ve had, or the Spark Social food trucks if we can’t decide on a cuisine!
I’m also a huge boba tea enthusiast, so Boba Guys, Boba Gen, Happy Lemon, or Zero& is definitely next on the agenda.
It goes without saying that we’re going to the Golden Gate Bridge, but there are so many other exciting spots that I’ve found during my time here. My friends and I love hanging out at Dolores Park. It’s so beautiful, and the vibes are immaculate. I love San Francisco because it’s a city full of nature. We would check out the Lands End Trail for some of the most subliminal views here. The Salesforce Tower Park is one of my favorite spots in the city too, for how breathtaking it is to witness lush greenery while also being surrounded by gorgeous architecture. Another exciting place in the Bay Area I can’t wait to visit again would be Pacifica. We went there to see what the buzz about the oceanside Taco Bell was all about, and I must say, it was worth it. The trip to Pacifica was beautiful, and while the beach itself is modest, it’s gorgeous. I would just be careful to visit during the right time of the year!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I dedicate this to my family, my friends, and my partner. I wouldn’t be here without you.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whosanannyaa/